


The Love in a Picture

by SirenMYT



Series: Sterek One-shots [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Future Fic, I'm Sorry, Kid Fic, M/M, angst though, gifs, i don't know how to tag, i'd warn you but i'd rather let the feels hit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 05:10:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5362586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirenMYT/pseuds/SirenMYT
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Tata?”</p><p>“Hmmm?”</p><p>“Can you tell the story again?”</p><p>“Sweetheart, I’ve already told it twice tonight.”</p><p>“Please?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Love in a Picture

“Tata?”

“Hmmm?”

“Can you tell the story again?”

“Sweetheart, I’ve already told it twice tonight.”

“ _Please?”_

“....ok. But only _one more time.”_

An excited smile blossomed on the girl’s face as she wriggled under the blankets in an attempt to get more comfortable. Stiles gave her an amused smile as he adjusted his position so that he was lying on the twin bed rather than with both legs dangling to the side. 

“Once upon a time there was a prince and he loved a gorgeous girl, a scholar, who pretended to be everything she wasn’t. Strawberry locks and perfectly toned skin...” the child’s face was twisted in disdain at her most least favorite part of the tale. 

“The prince thought he loved her because he saw the person she really was rather than the mask she put on for her friends, stuck up royals and all that,” he waved a dismissive hand that was not curled around the child’s shoulder, giving her a playful smile when she giggled. 

“But one day, the prince heard of something that had happened in the kingdom and he became worried. So instead of letting the guards of the kingdom handle the problem he went out by himself to find the problem and solve it himself and he _shouldn’t_ have done that.” He looked down at the girl, directing the last comment towards her. 

“But why?” Her thin eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. 

“He just wanted to protect his people.” 

Stiles gave the girl a smile. 

“Yes, but he had to defy the King, his father, in order to do so. And he could have gotten hurt.” 

“And so he took himself and his most trusted friend at the time into the woods, like the dummies they were.” A giggle broke out at the small interruption. 

“And so the prince got caught by his father, who had also been in the woods, while his best friend was left behind in hopes that he wouldn’t get in trouble.” A small gasp of ‘no’ came from the girl curled into his side, as if she had never heard the story before. 

“The next day the best friend came to him and told him of a beast, large and _different_ from the ones that were usually seen,” 

“The Bad Wolf.” 

Stiles nodded, his smile tightening momentarily before relaxing at the lax features of his daughter. 

“The friend told the prince that the monster had bit him and this made the prince stupidly curious. That day they went back to the woods in hopes of finding something they had lost the other day.” The child seemed to vibrate in excitement at that. 

“What they found instead, however, was--” 

“The Wolf Prince!” 

A laugh left Stiles’ as he saw the girl’s enthusiasm. 

“Yes, the Wolf Prince. Because once upon a time there used to be _two_ high royal families. One of the forest, and the other of the town. And the prince of the forest hadn’t been home in a _long long_ time.” 

“The Wolf Prince came back in search of his Queen, his sister, but... he was too late for the Beast had gotten to her first.” A gasp left the girl’s small mouth, another ‘oh no’ escaping from her. 

“But not to worry, the Wolf Prince defeated the beast and in doing so became the Wolf _King.”_

“But--” 

“I know Nat’ I’m getting there,” he chuckled upon seeing the girl’s pouting. 

“The prince of the town had not liked the Wolf King at first; he was too rough, too wild. And the prince of the town... well, he didn’t make it easy for the Wolf King to get to know him.” 

“But...?” 

“As time passed... they grew to know each other, they grew to care for each other. And the times in which they wouldn’t have cared if one or the other had died turned into not being able to imagine living in a world without the other in it.” 

“It took time, but eventually they fell madly in love. But there were obstacles. _So_ many obstacles.” His enthusiasm seemed to dull, eyes becoming far off as if seeing the blood bath that Beacon Hills had been so many years ago. 

“Tata!” He was jolted out of the memories by a small hand pulling at his shirt.

“And so when they were both old enough, because the Wolf King was an absolute _gentleman,_ they decided that the kingdom was safe at last and settled down. Found a place to call home. And they were happy... so happy that they decided to have a child.” 

“Boys can’t have kids, Tata,” The girl gave him the ‘are you stupid face’ which she’d probably perfected from Lydia. 

“That’s not the only way for two people wanting one to get one, Natalia. And no interrupting the story.” Stiles looked down, playfully indignant, garnering a laugh from the dark haired girl. 

“And so they were happy, very happy... for the rest of their lives.” 

“Why didn’t they marry?” It was an innocent enough question. 

“They were going to... but in the end it didn’t seem important.” Stiles hated lying, but it was better than telling the truth.

“But they skipped a step!” She pouted slightly while her father simply laughed and gave her a kiss on the crown of her head. 

“People who love each other don’t have to be married to show it.” Though he had wanted it. He had _wanted it so much._

“M’k munchkin?” 

“Not a munchkin...” 

“Oh I’m so sorry, pup. Of course you’re not a munchkin.” A squeal left her as Stiles reached his free hand over and tickled her stomach. He let up mere seconds later.

“Now go to sleep honey, it’s late. You have school tomorrow, remember?” He slid himself off of the bed and began the motions of tucking the girl in. 

“Tata?” 

“Hmmm?”

“Why wasn’t Daddy like the Wolf King?” Stiles froze at that, blanket in hand. 

“Pup...” 

“Why didn’t Daddy stay with us? Didn’t he love us?” The male frowned at seeing the wet eyes of his girl. 

“Daddy didn’t go away by choice Nat. He loved you more than he loved the moon and stars.” He knelt down beside her bed and cupped her cheek in one hand. 

“Never think that your Daddy didn’t love you. He loved us both, _so so_ much.” 

“So why did he leave?” Her chest hiccuped slightly, signaling the oncoming of actual tears. 

“No _no_. He didn’t leave by choice Natalia. He left to protect us. And listen to me. He may not be here, physically with us, but his presence will _always_ be here. His scent, his memories, his very _heart_ went into this house. Went into you.” She looked up at him and nodded, eyes still wet but the tears never fell and her breathing slowly returned to normal. 

“He wanted to stay Nat. I swear he wanted to stay.” His voice held strong despite the sudden urge to cry.

“Do you miss him Tata?” She whispered as she nuzzled into her father’s palm. 

A far away look seemed to take him over for a few seconds before he refocused himself on the task of comforting his daughter. 

“Everyday. I miss him everyday.” Stiles gave her a small smile before leaning over and giving her a small kiss to the temple. 

He lifted himself back onto this two feet with some effort, rubbing his aching knees before reordering the blankets. 

“Goodnight sweetheart.” He whispered, patting her hand, before making his way out of the room. 

Upon closing the door to the room (covered with stickers that she’d gotten from her classmates) he let out a large breathe, blinking back the tears that were threatening to overtake him as he walked a number of steps to his own room.

The father wearily unclipped his badge from his shirt pocket and then took off the radio clipped to his shoulder, placing both objects on his work desk.

Pulling out the chair he took a seat and promptly laid his head on crossed arms, tired both emotionally and physically.

Stiles lifted his head, minimally, and looked to his right, eyes immediately locking on one of his most prized possessions. 

Reaching over, as if touching a fragile object, he caressed the frame of the picture, examining the subjects of the photo.

“God Derek... she’s growing so much everyday. She... she... asked about you, you know?” The silence in return to the question was practically deafening. 

“I-I love you man. Always will. Never doubt that... wherever you are.” 

He raised himself from the chair, pushing it in as he began to undress and prepare to go to bed. 

The glass of the framed picture left a glare on the photo in the light that always seemed to cover the tall, raven haired man who had been smiling so widely that day, his eyes crinkled but not shut as he looked down lovingly at the bundle in his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry not sorry. What happened to Derek?? I'll leave it to your imagination.
> 
> I imagine that they had a surrogate and the kid is Stiles' by blood and Derek's by name. 
> 
> Natalia Hale.  
> Na-"Talia" Hale.
> 
> Edit: I didn't tag this Major Character Death because of the Open Ending.


End file.
